Compilation
by Kaci Brianna
Summary: A collection of AU oneshots based on various Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy characters/ships, each with a designated cliché AU prompt.
1. Incredibly Long Train Ride AU

**AU**: incredibly long cross-country train ride AU  
**Character(s)**: Axel and Roxas  
**A/N**: I have a new series, as mentioned in #11 of my drabble series. I have a list of 28 (including this one) cliche AUs that happened upon my dash a few days ago and I loved them all. Similar to my drabble challenge, it's going to be a collection of pieces all with a designated AU "prompt", but these are going to be one-shots as opposed to mostly drabbles, and as such, they'll be longer. As always, the full list of AUs will be on my main page!  
Also, I tried making Axel closer to his in-game self. I usually end up writing him as some hyperactive and psychotic carnie-like guy. Which he kinda is, but he isn't. He seems lazier than that. So, here's my attempt.

* * *

Seven hours. It had already been _seven hours_, and I still had another seven to go. I was beyond questioning my decision to visit Hollow Bastion. My butt was numb and the ever-circulating round of people in the train was dizzying. Suits, pajamas, jeans, button-downs—the diversity was astounding. Only one person was there even half as long as me: a tall man with a beanie mostly hiding his bright red hair, inverted teardrops underneath his eyes, and his mouth wide open and snoring. Loudly.

No matter what I did, I couldn't get the man to get out of my head. No amount of loud music could drown out his snoring, just like no amount of attempted sleep could get his hair out of my vision. I eventually, after an hour of trying to ignore him, settled for glaring at the man, as if I could use my vision to bore holes into his brain. That, at least, would shut him up.

However, in my terrible attempt to use laser-eyes to silently murder him, I dozed off. I didn't fall asleep exactly, though I no longer seemed to be staring at him. When finally I managed to come to, I focused my vision and immediately saw the eyes of the man sitting across from me—almond shaped and the color of new grass in the spring—staring back.

"Well," he said, drawing the single syllable out much more than necessary. "Sleeping Beauty awakens. I was beginning to think you'd gone comatose."

I narrowed my eyes at the man, watching him as he reached into the instrument case next to him to pull out a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. He returned his eyes back to me. The left side of his mouth was upturned in a smirk, the corresponding eyebrow raised.

"So," he said, taking a deep breath, "where are you headed? You've been in here for, what, five hours now?"

I crossed my arms and stared at him. "Seven and a half hours, actually."

He grinned, though it was crooked and he chuckled simultaneously. "Radiant Garden? I'm getting off there; I have to visit my brothers. They worry when they haven't seen in me a few months."

Grudgingly, I nodded. "Me, too," I said shortly.

He readjusted his shoulder, leaning back more comfortably against the chair opposite me. He grinned at me once more, the same crooked one showing half of his not-quite-perfect teeth. "Well you're awfully talkative. It's like you've got diarrhea of the mouth; you just can't seem to hold everything in!"

I glared at the red haired man, and he pretended to wince. "Oh, I'm hurt. Well, Mr. High-and-Mighty, I'm Axel Flynn, unprofessional violinist and professional annoyance."

"Roxas Strife," I told him. He raised his thin eyebrows, and then he laughed a moment later—a deep, full, real laugh.

"Oh man," he sighed. "You're _Cloud_'s brother? I should've known."

"You know Cloud?" I asked, already wanting to disappear into the faux leather chair I was sitting on.

He waved his hand absently. "I lived there when it was _originally_ Radiant Garden, and then, you know, they changed it to Hollow Bastion when I was about twelve, and then back to Radiant Garden, what, five years ago? Something like that, I guess. Anyway, I've known Cloud since it was Hollow Bastion. My brother's friends with Ven. Never actually met Ven, but yeah, I know Cloud. The number of times I crashed at his house… well, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times that happened. He just about raised my brother and me."

I groaned. Now I remembered—Cloud mentioning a teen he called Ax every so often on the phone, complaining about something he'd said or done or just talking about a thing that had happened involving this mysterious guy. Now I had a face to the name—and I applauded my brother, the guy who had more patience than anyone I knew, for being able to handle this guy.

Axel was going on: "My little brother and I were over there more than we were at our own house. My parents are out of the picture, so it was up to my older brother to take care of us, but he was always working so he could get enough money to actually make sure we had everything we needed, so Cloud was like our impromptu dad."

He paused and looked at me, and he shook his head. "You look like him, but you certainly don't act like him. At least _he_ has a sense of humor."

"I don't like you," I said bluntly.

"You don't know me," he replied easily.

Not missing a beat, I told him, "I don't _want_ to know you."

"I'm a violinist," he went on, as if I hadn't said anything. "I'm not the best one out there, but I'm making a decent living out of my playing. I have an apartment and enough money to spare to take incredibly long train rides to visit my brothers and the guy I've known just about my entire life. I think the conductor even knows me by name. What about you?" he asked.

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I ignored the man. I still had seven hours left and this guy wasn't getting off until I was, and unfortunately he was determined to talk to me and get to know me. I glanced at him, saw his eyes trained on me, and I brought my knees to my chest.

"I just finished high school and don't know what the hell I'm going to do with the remainder of my life, so I'm visiting my brothers and sister because I haven't in five years," I stated, my voice distinctly neutral.

The redhead seemed to mull what I'd said over. He dropped his sarcastic front, or so it seemed, and he looked genuinely contemplative. His eyes were curious and his brows were furrowed, as if he were thinking. He pulled one leg up and rested his arm on it, bringing his other hand up to his chin and holding his head up. Like that, I had to admit that he looked nice—not hot, not sexy, not… fake. He looked genuinely nice.

For almost a minute, we sat in silence. I watched Axel as he thought over whatever he was thinking about. Then he said, his voice curious, "What do you like to do?"

"I like to…" I trailed off, my own brows knitting together. What _did_ I like to do? I liked hanging out with Xion, talking to Sora…. "I don't know," I finally answered, though it wasn't much of an actual answer.

"Do you like music?" he offered, motioning toward his case suggestively. He was back to being his cocky self again, but at this I found myself laughing and shrugging.

He grinned and unzipped the violin case, and from it he lifted an old, slightly battered violin. He plucked each string quietly and nodded to himself, then brought out a worn bow from the top of the case. He resituated his position, straightening his back and pulling his legs underneath him like he was a little kid. He popped his neck, placed the violin between his chin and his collarbone, and began playing.

Within moments of catching the melody, I involuntarily closed my eyes and listened. He was good, and there was little room for doubt about it. Clearly, he knew his instrument and how to play it. The music went on without pause or delay, and when the sound stopped, I opened my eyes and saw him, his grin wide and eyes crinkled with amusement. He placed the instrument back in his case, zipped it shut, then turned to face me, slouching once again against the faux leather chair.

"When we get back to Radiant Garden, you can come listen to me play more," he stated, though he added, as though it were an afterthought, "right?"

I cleared my throat and shrugged, crossing my arms over my chest and looking out the window, fighting the flush that was coming to my face. "I guess," I said vaguely.

This was going to be a long ride.

* * *

A quick disclaimer; I completely blame my rediscovered love of Lindsey Stirling and the idea of violinist-Axel for the inclusion of his playing a violin. I haven't actually played my own in about a year, nor have I taken a proper lesson in about six years, but I remember the gist of how to _properly_ play. I do realize that sitting cross-legged is not the proper posture, but I really don't care. And pretend he's playing Passion (a cover I recently listened to and I may have cried because it's so beautiful), or maybe even Roxas's theme. I'll have a small playlist on my main page soon, so check them out when you can get the chance.


	2. Bookstore AU

**AU**: bookstore  
**Character(s)**: Riku and Sora, Kairi  
**A/N**: I don't think I'm quite getting the hang of doing AUs. I'm still in the mindset of "okay there's the word now let me write based on it". Then again, I haven't read any "bookstore AUs". Actually, I've read one, but it doesn't count. So that's my excuse for the bookstore itself not being very central to this oneshot. Also note: The Destiny Island Trio is one of the best trios. I think they're my #1, though the Sea Salt Trio runs a _very_ close second.

* * *

Okay. Go in—come out. Easy-peasy, right? It's not like I had some kind of _secret_ to hide. I was perfectly allowed to go into my best friend's bookstore, a place I used to all-but live in. I had every right to go in, talk to my friend, maybe beg for some unofficial Best Friend discounts, and leave.

Except I didn't.

Okay, well, technically—yes, I still had _every single right_ to join my best friend and loiter in her shop, but it was made very nearly impossible as a result of her hiring another employee. _Him_. Had it been Namine or Roxas or, hell, even Zexion, I wouldn't have minded. I liked all of them—or could tolerate Zexion, in his case. But the guy she hired, the one who—of _course_—was the most eligible, had to be some stupid guy who I graduated with.

Alright, "stupid" wasn't a very accurate description of him. "Irrefutably gorgeous" _was_ an accurate description, though. On a similar note, "outrageously polite" was also an excellent description, because the guy had manners _and_ looks.

It was unfair.

This guy—whose name was Riku Gallagher, a rather unflattering name for a _very_ aesthetically pleasing guy—was both masculine, his face angular and his jaw-line strong, his eyes stoic, his chest and biceps always very distinct under moderately tight T-shirts, and it didn't hurt that I had seventh period PE with him senior year, and feminine, stormy teal eyes framed by luscious dark eyelashes and hair shiny and silky down to his shoulders. In high school his hair had been longer, reaching past his torso and stopping just at his shoulder-blades, and he wore his hair in a loose knot on the back of his head, but he cut it short after graduation and it had been growing back ever since.

Not that I'd noticed, of course.

In high school, I was friendly with him. I worked with him a few times in biology and helped him with his English homework a few times. He was exceedingly bright, and I had an enormous, Russia-size crush on him. Roxas and Kairi both teased me endlessly for it, but I hadn't been openly out of the closet at the time and besides, Riku never gave any indication that he was anything but straight as a ruler. (Then again, he never gave any impression that he liked _anyone_ romantically, which was both a reassurance and a blow on my behalf.)

And Kairi, when given the very short list of those who'd considered working part-time at her bookshop, was ultimately forced to give the position to Riku, despite my very desperate pleading otherwise. He was the most experienced, she's reminded me gently, despite my never having gotten over my stupid school-boy crush.

But ever since he'd began working there, he'd been nothing but absolutely polite. I'd had a total of two conversations with him in as many months: the first conversation was the expected "I haven't seen you since graduation; how are you?" and the second was some kind of attempted small-talk that never actually formed into a real conversation.

"Sora!" a voice yelled, clear and crisp and commanding, shocking me out of my thoughts. Kairi stood outside the front door of the shop. She had all of her weight on one foot, her arms full of six-month-old baby and, despite the motherly expression she held towards the child, she managed to glare forcefully at me. Calling across the parking lot, she told me, "Get your tiny rear-end in this building before I come over there and drag you by the ear!"

And so I sprinted forward because I knew she was _not_ bluffing, and my fear of her forcibly dragging me was stronger than my determination of avoiding Riku. She offered the girl to me and I held her close, surveying the dirt-clods under her fingernails and smiling as she plunged a chubby hand into my hair.

"Xion's pretty ambitious today," I remarked, wincing slightly as she attempted to pull out a rather stubborn chunk of hair that stood straight out. "Is she trying to tame my hair or is she just being a normal, functioning baby?"

Kairi looked at me, and I saw two pairs of very blue eyes—one from the child in my arms and the other standing across from me, a kind smile on her face. "I think both—it must be a genetic thing, wanting to tame your hair."

"Well that's just mean," I said to Xion, though she only smiled at me and grabbed my cheek. She pulled it taut, or as taut as she could've, and I laughed. From behind me, a deeper voice chuckled, and I felt my face become very, very red.

Kairi smiled over my shoulder at the newcomer. "Riku, you're right on time!" she exclaimed, as though she were surprised. Riku was _always_ on time; he was the most punctual person I'd ever met.

He walked around me and leaned his elbows on the counter. His lips were slightly upturned, though his eyes displayed his smile more than his face did. He nodded at me in greeting, and then reached a hand forward to tousle Xion's puff of black hair.

"Are you on a hot date?" he asked Kairi, appraising her made-up face and flattering attire. She stuck her tongue out at the silver-haired man.

"I'm perfectly at liberty to do whatever I please on my days off," she said carefully, though her face was tinged pink.

With a devious grin, I brought one hand to my mouth and coughed, "_She's going on a date_." Then, clearing my throat, I looked around the room innocently.

Kairi glared at me, though there was nothing rude in the look. She said, in a voice as sweet as syrup, "If you weren't holding my daughter, I would strangle you with my scarf."

I widened my eyes at Xion, her own blue eyes widening in response. "Your mother just threatened me, Xion!" I whispered to her, allowing her to curl her hand around my finger. "Can you believe she would threaten her best, best friend, and your honorary uncle?"

Riku, behind Kairi, looked at the redhead. "Do you want us to watch her while you're out gallivanting?" he asked.

She turned around, waving a hand in his general direction. "_You_ don't have to—I'm making Sora—but I _would_ appreciate it if you closed up tonight?" she begged, her eyes pleading. She even knotted her hands together in front of her chest and stuck her lower lip out.

"It's no problem," Riku laughed. "I think you're turning into a seven year old, though. Are you sure you're up to raising a kid? She needs _adult_ supervision twenty-four seven."

She scoffed at the taller man, ignore him as she turned back around to me. "You have my number, obviously. If you need anything, or if anything happens—and I mean _anything_, Sora," she carefully turned to Riku wouldn't see her face and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at that, "call or text me. There's formula in the kitchen and her diaper bag is under the counter. Namine should be here later today to check up on you guys and to bring lunch."

Only a minute later, she was gone. Riku turned around and sat in the worn chair behind the counter, propping his feet up on the counter that I was playing with Xion on.

"You're pretty good with kids," he commented a while later. Xion was in my arms and snoring lightly on my shoulder, and I shrugged my free shoulder in response.

"Kairi and I babysat a lot when we were in high school. I picked up a few thing, I guess," I murmured, my eyes determinedly not meeting his.

He was quiet for several minutes, but thankfully it was a comfortable silence. I was fussing with Xion, bouncing her rhythmically and humming soft melodies into her ears. When I felt like it was safe to move her, I set her in the cradle Kairi had placed by the cash register. I sat down on the counter, facing her and, by default, Riku.

"Have you considered kids?" he suddenly asked, his bright eyes trained on mine. I blushed, bringing a hand to the back of my neck.

"Not really, I guess," I told him honestly, carefully enunciating my words to avoid them all stumbling out at once. "I help Kairi with Xion because Xion doesn't have a father, but I mean…." I trailed off, not really sure where the conversation was going nor what I was going to finish that sentence with.

Riku's brows furrowed and he looked at me confusedly. "Is that the only reason?" he questioned.

I brought my legs up and sat cross-legged on the countertop. I could feel a frown sitting heavily on my face and I looked back at Xion. "_I_'m still a kid," I admitted, my cheeks burning with—shame? Embarrassment? "Kairi's grown up a lot over the last year and a half, but she's always been a little more mature than I have. But me…. I feel exactly like I did in high school: like a little kid playing Grown Up."

He looked at me carefully, though I made it a point to avoid his gaze. The conversation dropped, and after four or five customers came in and left, he looked at me once more and asked, "Why do you not like me?"

And I looked pointedly at everything _except_ him. "Who said I don't like you?" I retaliated, probably a little too quickly, though.

He rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Then he looked at me with determined eyes. "You and I talked more in all four years of high school than we have since I've started working here," he stated.

"That still doesn't mean I don't like you." But my voice was weaker than it had been, and at this point I was refusing to look in his general direction, let alone in his eyes.

I could see him loosen his shoulders and then turn to face me directly. From my vantage point on the countertop, I straightened my back and looked down at my fingernails.

"You refuse to talk to me unless I start the conversation or Kairi's in the room," he declared. Then, continuing, he listed: "When we're in the same room together, you hardly look at me. If you can get away with it, you just don't reply to me." He paused. "Either you clearly don't like me, or I'm missing something."

I glanced at him, only for a second, before turned back to my fingertips. "I don't _not_ like you," I said evasively.

"Am I intimidating?" he asked, his voice incredulous. "Am I—am I annoying? If there's something I'm doing wrong, tell me, and I'll work on it."

I couldn't help my own bubbling laughter as I turned back up to face him. He raised an eyebrow and gestured his hands, silently saying "_Well? What is it?_" Quickly, too quickly, my frown returned.

Well, I figured, I could tell him bluntly how it was. I liked him. I'd liked him for over three years. He was one of the best guys I'd known, and—

"You're perfect," I told him honestly, bracing myself, deciding to get it all out there in one fell swoop—rip the bandaid off in one go because, in the end, it hurt less than easing it off bit by bit. "You're not annoying and you're not doing anything wrong. You're not intimidating. You're just—you're perfect."

He looked startled, his eyes wide and mostly visible through his pale bangs.

"You're the first guy I ever had a crush on, okay?" I admitted, glaring at my nail beds. "And I still like you. I figure if I avoid and ignore you, it'll go away. _Clearly_, I was mistaken."

He looked at me still, his eyes wide and unblinking. Then, owlishly, he blinked. "You like me?"

Narrowing my eyes at him, I snapped, "Yes, yes, I think I just made that clear." And internally I laughed and thanked God that Kairi wasn't there, because she would've made a scene about how uncharacteristic that was of sweet, lovable, oblivious Sora.

Riku looked over at Xion, his brows furrowed and his jaw clenching and unclenching. I took a deep breath, once more bracing myself for whatever followed. I saw his fist clench, and I steeled myself for a punch, but none came. He looked back at me and then slowly walked closer to the countertop. Tentatively, he met my eyes.

"You like me," he stated, no longer asking. "How much?"

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I looked at Xion, grateful to have something honest to watch instead of staring at my nails or the walls or the ceiling. I bit the inside of my cheek and deliberately ignored the question.

What I couldn't ignore, however, were his fingers gently curling under my chin and tugging my face toward his. He remained there, with his fingers under my chin and his face hovering in front of mine, for almost ten seconds—ten painfully, inhumanly long seconds.

Slowly, cautiously, he leaned forward. Carefully, hesitantly, he pressed his lips to my own.

The kiss itself was nothing spectacular. There were no fireworks that went off in the foreground of my mind. No choir began singing in my head, no doves flew out from some off-the-screen place. As far as kisses went, it was very… safe. It was nice, but it was safe. He pulled back before either of us could initiate anything.

Riku looked at me for several seconds. A tentative smile flashed across his features and I smiled back, my fingers reaching forwards toward his neck, and I wrapped my hand around the back of his head and pulled him closer, my lips ungracefully colliding with his as I pulled his body close to mine.

Namine walked in with her hands full of lunch bags, but we didn't pay her much—if any—mind.


End file.
